Wyoming follows Colorado in banking heavily on Amazon’s satellite service to supply high-speed internet via the state’s BEAD program. Starlink will only receive a small slice.
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Amazon’s Starlink rival, Project Kuiper, still hasn’t launched. But that isn’t stopping Wyoming from selecting it to supply high-speed broadband to over 15,000 underserved locations.
The proposal is part of Wyoming’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, which will use federal funds to expand high-speed internet access and close coverage gaps in the state. Wyoming has selected Project Kuiper to deliver broadband to about 40% of 38,000-plus locations. It’s also awarding Amazon close to $10 million in subsidies.
In contrast, SpaceX’s Starlink has only been selected to serve 629 locations in exchange for $1 million in federal funding.
